ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — New figures related to Minnesota’s employment rate are being released.

The state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development planned Thursday to provide the unemployment rate for June. They’ll also say whether more jobs were gained or lost.

Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was 4.6 percent, the lowest level in seven years.

With the election approaching, Democrats say the state’s lower-than-average unemployment rate is a sign the economy has improved.

Republicans have pointed to measures beneath the surface to raise doubts about the unemployment pattern. They say too many people are working in jobs beneath their skill level because they can’t find suitable employment.